# Accident 20241008015699A: Air Tractor Inc AT-802A, Remer, MN, October 8, 2024 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 8, 2024, 14:26 local time - Place: Remer, MN - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Other, Specify - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 46.9542° N, 94.1304° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.9542&lon=-94.1304&mi=10 - Aircraft: N212FB, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N212FB) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Air Tractor AT-802A (registry code 0390308, https://openairdocs.org/model/air-tractor-at-802a) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67F (registry code 52290, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pt6a-67f) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AIR TRACTOR INC AT-802A - Reported engine: P&W CANADA PT6A-67F - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Airline transport - Pilot flight hours: 11,650 total, 680 in this make and model, 40 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN25LA008](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA008) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20241008015699A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE PIC PREFLIGHTED AND STARTED ENGINES, ANNOUNCED HIS MOVEMENT ON CTAF 122.7. AND BEGAN HIS TAXI AT 13:43 CDT. THE FOLLOWING TOOK PLACE BETWEEN 13:47 (TAKEOFF) AND 14:04 (LANDING) CDT (:17MINUTES): AS HE ROTATED AND CALLED POSITIVE RATE, SAW A SMALL AIRPLANE FLYING TOWARD HIM ON A LOW APPROACH, AND WAS OVER THE NUMBERS OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THE PIC NEVER HEARD THEM ON THE RADIO. INSTEAD OF THE PIC'S NORMAL CALL OUT “POSITIVE RATE, GEAR UP,” IT WAS “POSITIVE RATE, WATCH OUT FOR THAT PLANE!” THE PIC WAS NOT IN A FLIGHT, SO THERE WAS NOT THE CUSTOMARY “TWO’S UP, GEAR UP,” “THREE’S UP, GEAR UP,” “FOUR’S UP, GEAR UP,” WHICH FORCES EVERYONE TO LOOK BACK AT THEIR GEAR, ACCORDING TO THE PIC. THERE WAS NOT THE 1-2 MIN INTO THE FLIGHT CALL-OUT OF “ONE, FOUR BLUE,” “TWO, FOUR BLUE," FORCING THE PIC TO LOOK AT HIS GEAR CONDITION. THE PIC THEN CALLED AIR ATTACK AND REPORTED THAT HE WAS 15 MILES TO THE SOUTH. HE DID THIS EARLY, BECAUSE AIR ATTACK WAS ALSO BACK AND FORTH WITH ANOTHER MISSION AIRCRAFT, AND HE EXPECTED THAT THE NEXT PART OF THAT DISCUSSION, TALKING ABOUT SCOOP SITES, WOULD TAKE A LITTLE LONGER. HE WAS CLEARED INTO THE FIRE TRAFFIC AREA (FTA). THE PIC DID NOT HAVE A WORKING ADS-B INPUT FROM THE AIRCRAFT, SO HE COULD NOT SEE THE TRAFFIC. THE PIC SWITCHED HIS HOTSPOT ON HIS PHONE ON, AND WAS ABLE TO SEE THE AIR ATTACK ON FOREFLIGHT, BUT COULD NOT SEE THE OTHER MISSON AIRCRAFT, AS HE WAS TOO LOW TO BE SEEN BY GROUND BASED ADS-B STATIONS. THE PIC HEARD THE OTHER MISSON AIRCRAFT COMING AND HAD GROUND LOADED WATER, “HAD A LOAD,” SO HE WOULD NOT NEED TO SCOOP. EVERYONE HAD WATER BUT THE PIC, WHOM WAS NOW BEHIND. THE OTHER MISSON AIRCRAFT HAD JUST SCOOPED IT, AND THE PIC COULD SEE HIM, TURNING TO THE DOWNWIND AT THE LAKE, AND HIS SCOOP PATH CLEARLY ON THE WATER. THE PIC DID HIS PRE-SCOOP CHECKLIST, PUTTING HIS HAND ON THE GEAR LEVER, VERBIZING “HANDLE FORWARD, FOUR BLUE FOR THE WATER,” AS HE WAS WATCHING THE OTHER MISSON AIRCRAFT. PIC STATED "I DID NOT REGISTER THAT THERE WERE FOUR GREEN LIGHTS INSTEAD OF FOUR BLUE LIGHTS, OR THAT THE LEVER WAS AFT, NOT FORWARD." THE PIC THEN COMPLETED HIS CALLOUTS, TOUCHING EACH ITEM, AND LOOKING AT THEM. PIC STATED "I WAS CONTENT THAT THE PRE-SCOOP CHECKLIST WAS COMPLETE." PIC TURNED BASE AND FINAL. PIC NOTED THERE WAS NO AUDIBLE “GEAR DOWN FOR THE RUNWAY LANDING” WARNING, OR PANEL ANNUNCIATOR. THE PIC STATED THAT AS THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN, IT DID NOT FEEL RIGHT. PIC PULLED BACK ON THE STICK, AND HE SAW WATER SPRAY UP UNDER THE AIRPLANE. THE PLANE SLOWED RAPIDLY, THEN AS IT DECELERATED, IT PITCHED FORWARD BEYOND CONTROL. THEN THE AIRPLANE STOOD UP ON ITS NOSE, THE PROP INTO THE WATER, AND THE PIC WAS LOOKING AT THE WATER. AS THE PIC WAS REACHING FOR HIS HEEDS REGULATOR, THE PLANE LAID BACK DOWN ON IT'S BELLY. THE NOSE WAS STILL UNDER WATER, BUT THE PLANE WAS SITTING WINGS LEVEL. WATER BEGAN TO COME BELOW THE PEDDLES AND THE PIC TRIED ONE RADIO CALL TO THE OTHER MISSON AIRCRAFT THAT HE WAS IN THE WATER. PIC DID NOT HEAR A RESPONSE, SO HE TURNED OFF THE BATT MASTER AND CLOSED THE FUEL VALVE, OPENED THE LEFT DOOR, UNBUCKLED, PULLED HIS MIC AND PHONE JACKS TO KEEP HIS HELMET ON, AND BEGAN CLIMBING OUT THE AIRCRAFT ONTO THE WINDOW SILL. HE STOPPED THERE, BECAUSE THE WINGS WERE ALREADY SUBMERGED, ABOUT 10 INCHES AND GOING DOWN QUICKLY. A BOAT APPROACHED THE AIRCRAFT AND THE PIC BOARDED THE BOAT. PIC STATED "AS I LOOKED BACK WHERE THE PLANE HAD BEEN (NOW SUBMERGED), AND THE FLOATS WERE BOBBING. THAT WAS WHEN I SAW THE WHEELS DOWN, AND NEW EXACTLY WHAT HAD HAPPENED." DIVE CREW VIDEO CONFIRMED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE PRIOR TO AIRCRAFT RECOVERY FROM THE LAKE BOTTOM. AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE DURING RECOVERY. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CEN25LA008](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA008), Oct 8, 2024: Air Tractor AT-802A (N212FB), Inguadona, MN, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to properly configure the landing gear on the amphibious airplane before a water landing. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.